Invitation of the Sorcerer King
by ObliviousFGT
Summary: The adamantite teams receive a strange invitation from the Sorcerer King: To assault his lair, Nazarick.
1. The Preparations

Disclaimer: I don't own the Overlord light novel series, or the anime or the manga. The following events are supposed to take place between the 11th and 12th novel.

Edit: Some minor fixes.

* * *

In the main square of the Royal Capital Re-Estize traveling vendors had set up their stalls to buy and sell various goods, such as adventurer gear, food and jewelry. Fresh adventurers were flocking towards them in search of cheap second-hand gear, while two members of the platinum rank adventurer team were haggling/bartering for a magical bow they had found.

"Gods, that's all our money and our lifesaver, are you sure we need it this badly?", the man asked his his partner.

"Yes, it's beyond rare! We'll never get an offer like this again!" She shouted back at him and turned back to the vendor.

"What if we pitch in a sword to the 3 gold, 17 silver, 90 copper coins and half-magic healing potion we proposed?!"

"What kind of a sword are we talking about?"

"This one."

The woman withdrew her back-up sword with it's sheath from her belt. Without it, she might up in serious peril if a monster managed to close in on her, which went to show how desperate she was to get it. The vendor withdrew the sword, examining the blade carefully.

"It's a good sword, no doubt about that. However, it looks like the standard empirical knight sword. Was it stolen from a Baharuth knight?"

"No, it's just a copy of the same design, made here in Re-estize." the man answered.

The vendor nodded, he had seen such rarities before.

"Indeed, that sword would, if viewed objectively, be enough of an addition towards paying for that sword. However!" he shouted as the pair had began to rejoice. "It would likely be assumed to be a stolen sword if I took it to the Empire, whereupon it would be confiscated in the best-case scenario. In the worst case, I might be hanged on the alleged ground of treason. I am sorry, but I can't.."

"Excuse me, are the two of you adventurers?"

A thin, dry female voice interrupted the vendor. The pair turned and saw a mysterious form. While she had the frame of a short woman, several things stood out clearly marking her as a heteromorph. She had pale, waxy skin that glistened like it was covered in a thin film of water. Her eyes were entirely gray with no iris or pupil to be seen and her teeth looked like a row of needles. An antenna protruded forward from the back of her head with a faint glowing orb at its end. She was dressed in a simple, yet well-cut black hooded robe upon which was stitched...

"The crest of Ainz Ooal Gown..." the merchant muttered under his breath. Paying no attention to him she continued.

"I am searching for the adventurers guild, would you two be able to tell me how to get there? I need to place a request."

"Uh... sure!" the woman answered, nudging her partner to stop gawking.

"Yeah, you'd have to head straight ahead and turn left into the street that leads out of the market. The guild hall should be on your right side." the man replied.

"Thank you for your troubles, here's a token of my gratitude."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a scroll and a coin. She handed the coin to the woman and bid her farewell, probing her way through the crowd. As the adventuress looked at the coin she had been handed, her eyes widened.

"Wait, you accidentally gave me a gold coin!" she shouted out.

"It's fine, I got to get going!" she shouted back before the adventurers lost sight of her in the crowd.

Stumped, the pair of adventurers looked at the coin they were given. It was a Re-Estize gold coin, which would be enough to feed a family of three well for three days, despite the dire lack of food that was plaguing the kingdom, which in turn had been driving the prices up high for months now.

"Is the Sorcerous Kingdom that wealthy?"

"Perhaps she didn't have a smaller coinage?"

"Maybe, but why would she even need to give us any thing... Wait a moment..." The woman turned her gaze back to the vendor, smiling with renewed vigor. "How about four gold coins and four silver coins for the bow?"

Returning to his senses, the vendor almost blurted out "Sure, sure...", but stopped in the nick of time to contemplate. He had set his eyes on the potion they had offered and he was unwilling to lose it now.

"Four gold and five silver coins, as well as that potion you had promised me."

The woman frowned, answering: "That potion is worth six pieces of silver at least. I'll throw in four or five silver coins more, but that's that."

The two glared at each other, before the vendor replied: "Four gold and nine silver, I'm not going any lower."

"Deal!" the woman shouted, practically ripping the bow from the vendors hands, her partner paying the allotted sum.

As they headed back to the guild hall, they discussed the strange encounter they had with the envoy.

"If the Sorcerous Kingdom really has that much money, would it be possible for us to work there? Maybe we can take on that contract?"

"Well, I heard that they were changing their policy over there, what with absorbing the guild into a part of the state itself, and we can't take on the contract either." replied her partner.

"Why not, how do you know something about it already?"

"I thought you were the ranger in our group, did you seriously not see it?"

"See what?"

"The scroll that... girl pulled out. It was crimson"

She stared in disbelief. "Crimson? They are putting in a request for an adamantite team? That can only mean one thing. "

He nodded. "Yes, they want to hire Blue Rose."

* * *

 _A week ago..._

Ainz was laying in his bed, worrying as usual as he read a book titled "Intelligent problem solving for managers and other businessmen". To the maid that was watching him, it appeared that he was studying the book carefully, with the bearing of a monarch.

"Reprioritisation... Delegation..." he muttered, listing forward through the book.

 _Well, at least I got the latter down already,_ he thought to himself.

In truth, he didn't have much of an interest in reading the book, but he had a row of problems to solve on his own and he was hoping to find hints for them in said book.

Point: Momon's renown was starting to fall due to him affiliating with the Sorcerous Kingdom.

Point: The adventurer guild in E-Rantel wasn't growing, or it was doing so too slowly.

Point: The strength of adamantite adventurers other than Blue Rose were unknown.

Then there were his ambitions that he hadn't been able to fully develop yet.

He had noticed that many of his subordinates, while able to curb themselves upon his express orders, were very apathetic towards humans. For now he could only rely on Albedo to work as an envoy, which was both a problem in the sense that if he did so, he could not rely on her if other problems arose, as well as the fact that he didn't want to overwhelm her with tasks. If he could find more denizens of Nazarick to act as envoys, he could lift that burden from both of their shoulders.

Finally, there was the fact that the Worker incident hadn't given him any valuable insight on the defensive constructs in Nazarick. He had long since considered ordering a Guardian to assault the Tomb of Nazarick as well as they could, but when he proposed the idea to Albedo via an "anonymous letter", she responded even more furiously than to his request to arrange a "sport uniform" for the NPCs. She had the right of it though, no guardian could be persuaded to commit such an assault in Nazarick and they would be far to well informed about the layout of the structure of Nazarick to simulate an outside invader.

 _What was it that the book had suggested? Ah yes, solving one problem with another, but how would that even work?_

He turned back a few pages to reread the passage that had dealt with the topic. It was a slog of text that Ainz felt like he couldn't possibly understand. While certain phrases stuck in his mind, the hour and a half he had stared at the text in the hope it would make sense all of a sudden had not worked out.

 _Most problematic issues in management can be condensed down to a lack of oversight on the flow of resources and information, what does that even mean? I can't possibly understand that. Alright, time for a new approach._

If he wasn't able to think like a manager, it was time for him to think of it as a guild leader.

 _Alright, if Nazarick is my base, then my issues would be quests. What are my objectives?_

He had the mission "Save Momons reputation", which involved deploying himself as Momon in a manner that didn't threaten his own as Ainz or Momon. He had a surveillance mission to assess the threat of the adamantite adventurers and a mission to make more people join the adventurer guild in E-Rantel. Then, there were the two side quests, to train up capable envoys and evaluate Nazaricks defenses. Now, what was the advice that had been given at the start of the book?

 _Evaluate in the case of failure why the results hadn't lived up to your expectations. Well, simply put, the workers were far to weak to use as guinea pigs for Nazaricks defenses, so I'd need a stronger force, one that exists outside of Nazarick for a clearer result._

As he contemplated who to choose, realization dawned upon him.

"But of course!" he shouted as he sat up from his bed. The maid across the room was visibly startled, making Ainz realized his mistake.

"I trust you shall have no issue with not spreading the word about this incident.", he declared.

The maid gulped and vigorously nodded her head, blushing in her panic.

With that incident taken care of, he returned towards his thoughts.

 _What if I hire adamantite adventurer teams to commit to a mock assault of the Tomb of Nazarick? It would kill two birds with one stone! So that's what the book was trying to say with solve a problem with another._

By having the adventurers preform a mock excursion into Nazarick, they could evaluate both the strategic design of Nazarick as well as the adventurers partaking in in the mock raid. Naturally, the tomb would be impenetrable to the likes of them, so they would have to lower the defenses within Nazarick to ensure that all floors get a chance for an evaluation, but that could also work in his favor. By withdrawing the mercenary monsters and combat NPCs and deactivating the traps with per-use-expenses, they would also bring down the cost of the experiment itself down to zero.

As his mind raced onward, he had another flash of inspiration. Obviously, the adventurers would need to be escorted to Nazarick by someone, someone they know that he wouldn't betray them. Who would be better in that regard than Momon, the dark hero? By interacting with them, he could elaborately present Momon as a person trying his best to keep the peace in the Sorcerous Kingdom. It would also be a form of insurance against treason on both ends, with neither us or them being interested in tarnishing Momons reputation. Another problem solved.

Also, if the adamantite adventurers were rewarded well for their efforts, it would be great advertisement for the adventurer guild in E-Rantel. He would arrange for E-Rantel to be the place where the adventurers gather, giving Ainzach time to further convince them of his vision for the guild. If they were then asked how working for the Sorcerous Kingdom was, they would certainly convince at least a few people to join his kingdoms guild.

 _I'll need to consult with Albedo, Ainzach and Demiurge if they can help me further with my plan. For now, I'm spent._

Ainz rolled over on his stomach, letting out a quiet sigh.

 _Is this how Demiurge thinks all the time? Uwah, how scary! He could conquer the world singlehandedly if I wouldn't curb him in._

* * *

The next morning, Ainz was going through his reports with Albedo, leisurely taking his time while discussing the reports. The citizens in the Sorcerous Kingdom were slowly starting to accept its strange nature, but were still only thanking Momon for the circumstances. Not that it mattered at the moment, but he felt a bit frustrated about how long he still had to go to win the acceptance of the people.

"Good grief, are there no stories in this world about undead who weren't enemies to all living beings?"

If there were, he would have likened himself to them, but however hard he searched, all the legendary undead of history, myths and legends were all evil incarnate.

"Should we perhaps start writing books about helpful undead to be sold to the young children? I would gladly take over the task!"

"Umm..." Ainz thought quietly about how to answer. The idea reminded him of a leaked propaganda book from a totalitarian regime he had seen online as Suzuki Saturo, something he had no interest in imitating. But how would he respond to make Albedo understand?

"While it is worth considering, the fact remains that the undead that aren't under my rule would without a doubt attack any living being. Furthermore, my own undead forces should rightfully so be feared. I don't want them to start patronizing my forces."

"But of course, how could I not see this myself? I apologies for my nearsightedness."

Albedo bowed in shame, leading to more discomfort on Ainz's part.

"N- No, it is fine. It was nevertheless a suggestion worth considering. Speaking of which, it is time to go through the requests."

Ainz reached for the request jar and started copying the notes he withdrew. This time however, he would not add his own ideas among them, but would discuss them with Albedo afterwards.

As he reached the end of the list, Ainz felt tense as he decided on how to breach the subject.

"Albedo, there are two further things that I wish to discuss with you. They are my ideas for plans to strengthen Nazarick itself, as well as to access the threats that may be posed by certain individuals that are considered strong in this world."

Albedos focus peaked, listening attentively to what her master had to say.

"Firstly, I would like to train some of Nazaricks NPCs to function as emissaries that can be deployed on diplomatic missions outside of the Sorcerous Kingdom."

"Are you unsatisfied with my performance in the Re-Estize Kingdom? Please, tell this foolish subordinate of yours how I should have performed!" Albedo wailed as she prostated herself even deeper than in her first apology.

"Umu... it is nothing of the sort. I merely wish to hand this task in the future to others so that I can rely on you to be by my side and would certainly continue to entrust the more major missions to you after evaluating your results."

Albedo's face blushed deeply, sighing in renewed faith in herself "Kufufu, my darling Ainz-sama wants to keep me by his side, of course he would. Kufufu..."

Ainz continued: "To this extent, I'd wish you to select likely candidates from the citizens of Nazarick to be trained as emissaries. They must fulfill the following criteria: They must be vaguely humanoid in appearance, intelligent, ungrudging against humans and they may not be apparently undead or demonic in their shape. The standards are this high, for they must be able to represent our Kingdom."

"But of course. I shall also tutor them in the etiquette necessary for the job, as well as inform them of the surrounding countries."

Ainz nodded in agreement.

 _Now, for the big one..._

"I also have an idea concerning the defenses of Nazarick." He paused, standing up from his desk. "I was left unsatisfied by the results of the Worker incident, because I failed to gather any valuable insight from the incident."

"Were we too quick when it came to defeating them?"

"No, our opponents were simply too weak to exploit any flaws our defenses might have had. In order to truly understand ones weaknesses, one most face a worthy foe in battle. In that regard, I wish to repeat this experiment, after having considered why the first one had failed."

"What a marvelous idea Ainz-sama, what kind of bugs shall we lure into Nazarick this time?"

Ainz paused again, steeling himself to be rebuked for his suggestion.

"My plan this time is fundamentally different from the last one. For starters, we will not be luring greedy fools to our Tomb, we will hire people who will take on the Tomb in a mock assault.

Albedo was visibly surprised by her masters suggestion.

"More precisely, we will be hiring all the adamantite teams that we know of thanks to Demiurge's and Sebas's Intel: Blue Rose, Red Drop, Eight Ripples and Silver Canary. Of course, I don't expect all of them to come, but they will all receive an invitation."

"Do you wish to cull the numbers of adamantite adventurers?"

Ainz sighed despite being undead, responding: "Albedo, while I may have reasons to do so in the future, the plan this time is to merely observe and find the strong individuals, relatively speaking of course, among the adventurers, as well as gain an understanding for how much of a threat each group poses to us. Additionally, though unlikely, if the individuals who brainwashed Shalltear are among them, they would be delivering themselves right to our doorsteps."

 _Besides all that, I might be selfish, but I want to see the reactions of people to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. My friends, it would be wrong to seal such a beauty away, never to be seen. Blue Planet, Whitebrim, Tabula Smagardina, Bukubukuchagame and Touch Me-san, I want others to marvel at your creations!_

He remembered how half a year ago an innocent little girl named Nemu Emmot came with her sister to the throne room of Nazarick and how she seized his heart with her unfiltered, genuine joy and fascination for the 9th and 10th floor of Nazarick. It was a moment he had embedded deep in his memory, which had lead to him adding her to the list of people that Lupusregina had to safeguard at all costs.

 _Maybe, just maybe, I might be able to see such a reaction again._

"You mean to let them live after they are done? Then how do we safeguard Nazaricks secrets?", Albedo interrupted his daydream. Shifting his focus back to the matter at hand, he replied: "While a certain amount of leaks may be unavoidable, we will resolve this by regulating the flow of information outward, among other things, via a contract that I shall design with Demiurge.

Nazarick itself will however also be modified when they arrive. We shall withdraw all the NPCs that we can, as well as all the mercenary monsters stationed there. Furthermore, we will deactivate all traps that have expenses tied to their use and for the sake of hospitality, the Black Capsule."

"I can see how killing them would lead to us gaining infamy, but why hire them at all? There are surely other ways to test those outsiders and our own defenses."

 _Here I go._ Ainz sucked in his breath, and continued:

"There are two advantages to doing this. Firstly, this would be advertisement for the adventurer guild here, as hiring adamantite teams will surely draw the attention of other adventurers and those who wish to become them. In that regard, them having a pleasant experience from working for us would lead to them doing word-of-mouth advertisement for us.

Secondly, despite me not being happy about Momon being a necessity, it would be wise to at least polish up his reputation by having me assume his role to escort the adventurers to Nazarick. It would have to be done publicly, so a festive departure is in order. Momon has to be shown for the world to see, after all."

"As expected of you, Ainz-sama. It shall be done as you desire."

While he wasn't entirely sure if he had convinced Albedo, he decided continue and ask Albedo for help in one regard.

"Additionally, I would like your advice if my plan with the adamantite adventurers could be tied into your new task of raising new emissaries for the kingdom?"

"Kufufu, is this a test? How cunning of you, Ainz-sama!"

 _Eh? She already has a plan to do so?_

"It may be, but continue anyway." He praised himself silently for selling that lie without letting his surprise leak out.

"The adventurers we would be hiring would obviously need to be contacted by someone. I would send out the emissaries-in-training as messengers to the four adamantite teams. It would function as their first trial, so to speak."

"Mmh, well done, Albedo. It seems you're easily as capable as me as a strategist."

 _Obviously you are far more capable than me, but you'd never believe me._

"Kufu!" Albedo clasped her crimson cheeks, her knees sagging in.

"Ai-Ainz-sama, there is no need to praise me so lavishly! I shall work hard to meet your expectations!"

Ainz nodded and turned to the maid at the door.

"Seventh, we would be done for today. Albedo, inform Demiurge about our plan and what he is needed for. I shall meet him here in the evening to discuss the plan and the contract he drew up at 19:00 Nazarick standard time. I'll be heading out now."

Inwardly, Ainz was rejoicing about his plan starting to come to fruition.

He focused himself again at the matters at hand, having already reached the door that exited the building.

"I shall go now to meet with Ainzach in order to secure his cooperation on this subject."

* * *

Ainzach was currently meeting with Theo Rakheshir, the Magician guildmaster and an old friend of his.

"Could I see that short sword that the King had awarded you? I want to appraise it!"

Ainzach laughed heartily, "If you can restrain yourself from acting like you did in front of Momon that time."

Theo pouted, in a manner unfitting for a man of his age or station. It was due to their trust in each other that he could show him this side of his.

"I wouldn't lick a blade, I'm no madman."

"I have my doubts, but here you go."

Ainzach slid the short sword over the counter, the grip facing towards Theo. He grabbed it and cast [Appraise Magic Item].

"Hooh! This really is a great item you got your hands on! If I had to evaluate it, the enchantment would be about as strong as Razors Edge! The blade seems to be made by an elemental crystal, but with the magical enchantment, it seems to be harder than adamantite!"

"What is the nature of the enchantment?"

"Forgive me, I can't tell exactly what kind of spell it is, but it seems to be a divine type water enchantment. Perhaps it's strong against fire type monsters?"

"Mmh." He would ask Ainz to specify the nature of it's enchantment when he met him again.

"I'll have to ask his majesty about..."

A knock on the door interrupted him. The girl who worked on the counter had appeared.

"Ainzach-san! The King has appeared again, he wants to discuss something!"

"Speak of the devil..." Theo muttered under his breath.

"Wait till I arrange my office. I will tell you when you can bring him in."

He turned to his friend, but was cut off before he could start.

"No, I think it would be better for us to come clear in front of "his majesty". Sooner or later, he will ask you about me, I'm sure of it. Better to confess, then."

"I was going to ask if you'll be joining us."

"Really? You got more balls than I remember."

Ainzach snorted at his friends banter. "I was practically forced to take my office here, unlike you." Ainzach reached over to his friend and pocketed the short sword they had been discussing.

"Alright, you can bring him in."

When Ainz was told that he should come, he was surprised both at being summend into Ainzachs office and that Ainzach was not alone. He almost openly asked why the Magician Guildmaster was with them, when he remembered at the last split second that he hadn't met him yet as Ainz Ooal Gown.

"Ainzach, I do not believe to have met your companion before, could you introduce me to him?"

"Yes...", Ainzach swallowed before continuing, "He is the guildmaster of the magicians guild here in E-Rantel, as well as a trusted friend of mine."

"And I must confess, this is not the first time we had met."

Ainz panicked, worrying that the guildmasters had figured out Momons identity. However, his worries quickly turned out to be unfounded.

"In truth, when you had met with Ainzach personally for the first time, I was cowering in this very office, having met with Ainzach before you."

"We apologize for our secretive acting."

Ainz paused, unsure how to continue.

"Has anyone else been told about our plans for this guild besides..."

"Theo Rakheshir, at your majesties service. And no, we haven't discussed anything you had done in Arwinter with anyone besides the two of us."

Ainz chuckled in response "Wasn't the whole point of the duel in Arwinter to have people discuss it? But I am talking besides the point. As the Guildmaster of the Magicians in E-Rantel, the largest city in the _Sorcerous_ Kingdom, surely you must be an important subject of mine, or am I mistaken?"

"While I may have been so in the past, our own magic pales in comparison to anything you can do so far that there is no purpose for us anymore." Theo responded in a bitter smile. This was a half-truth, at least. In reality, the magicians guild here was little more than a shell of what it was, having located the majority of its resources and members to Re-Estize after the city was conquered.

"Hoh, I figured it would be more relevant now than ever? But I shall discuss the details of my vision for the magicians guild at a later date."

 _Too bad that I don't have a vision for you yet, but one matter at a time._

Theos eyes betrayed his shock, but he held his composure yet. Then Ainz continued:

"I shall be brief about my wish: I want to hire several adamantite teams for a project of mine."

An silence of disbelief filled the room for several seconds, though they felt much longer to Ainz.

"Haaah?!" both of the Guildmasters blurted out in unison.

Ainz wanted to collapse in shame at that very moment, but his bones were rigid from how tense they were. Was his wish so unreasonable?

"I said, I wish to hire several adamantite teams..."

"I beg for forgiveness for interrupting you, but I have heard your majesties request. My exclamation was at the size of your undertaking." Ainzach blurted out.

"Though I have no doubt that doing so would be in your capacity."

"I understand, you are forgiven."

"Hiring several adamantite teams." Theo muttered. The last time that it was even considered was during the appearance of Jaldabaoth in Re-Estize, and even then they only reached out to the adamantite teams of a single nation. There were no adamantite teams in the Sorcerous Kingdom besides Darkness, which meant that he was hiring internationally from the get-go.

"To be specific, I wish to hire the following groups: Blue Rose, Red Drop, Silver Canary and Eight Ripples."

Having all four of them in one spot would cause eyes to turn from all the surrounding nations. Even two groups would be big enough of an incident to have all the adventurers from the surrounding nation to take note of it, assuming that they were of separate nations.

"While I doubt all of them will agree to aid me, if we can persuade multiple teams to accept my offer, I would count it as a success."

Theo nodded. It seemed like his line of thinking was on point.

"To this extent, I wished to talk to you as an expert on the matter of hiring adventurers. I'd like you to give me advice on how to reward them, or how to gain their trust. To this extent, I've considered allowing Momon to join us in this matter.

Ainzach breifly attempted to picture five adamantite teams in his own guild hall and promptly failed. It was akin to picturing the Thirteen Heroes in the flesh, a simply ungodly amount of fighting power. It would be a miracle come to life. For that reason alone, he would have supported Ainz whole-heartedly in his endeavour.

"May we both know more about your project?" asked Ainzach.

"Hmm... would the two of you swear to keep the details of my plans a secret? You may swear on whatever name you choose."

"I swear on the future of the adventurers here." Ainzach replied.

"I swear by your majesties magic."

Ainz nodded. Judging by the name of their swears, he could tell that they were serious about their promises.

"Very well, then let me elaborate. There are two objectives behind my plan that should concern you. The first is the objective of the adventurers, which would be to commit a mock raid against my lair, in order for me to find it's weaknesses."

"A mock raid, as in an assault on your castle? What would you gain from that?"

"Imagine it like a businessmen hiring a thief to try to steal from his own warehouse. He pays him for his duties, so the thief returns the stolen goods. If the thief succeeds, he'll know what to arm himself against in order to ensure that a malevolent thief doesn't succeed the same way."

Ainzach nodded, he understood that line of thinking, but he still thought, _Wouldn't multiple adamantite adventurers be overkill for this kind of mission? No, considering his immense might, if his guards have even a fraction of that power, they might not succeed in an actual assault._

"To this end, I shall arrange my place to bean adequate challenge, while limiting the lethality. This is because the second objective would be to promote your guild with this incident."

"You mean to steal the attention of the adventurers with this plan of yours, do you not?"

"Precisely. In addition to that, ensuring the well-being of the adamantite teams may lead to positive word-of-mouth spreading to other adventurers after the project is over. In that regard, I would like to hand you a task to ponder over till tomorrow, when I'll be presenting my draft of the hiring contract.

I wish for you to think of a way to convince adventurers that are considering joining us in the future. I would like you to think of a draft for a plan by tomorrow."

"This may be difficult, I would like to have more time to ponder over it."

"In my experience, people don't think more thoroughly when they are given more time. It does not have to be perfect or even complete, it has to be quick. Understood?"

 _Well, more like I read about it in a book. I'd like to use this as an opportunity test that claim._ Ainz thought to himself.

Ainzach gulped nervously.

"Understood, it shall be done by tomorrow morning."

"Very well then. What do I need to know about hiring adventurers, adamantite teams in particular?"

Ainzach readied himself.

"This may take a while, your majesty."

"That is fine, I have the time"

 _I wonder if I'll have the endurance though._

* * *

 _Oh hell, why do I keep doing this to myself?_

Although his body was incapable of feeling fatigue, he felt like his mind was long since spent. He would have enjoyed a sweet snack, or a refreshing gulp of water in order to jump start his brain, but he no longer was capable of doing so. It was afternoon by now, and all he wanted to do was to lay down in his bed and read a manga.

 _I need to read a book about clearing and refreshing ones mind, when I have the energy for that. Oh well, at least it was worth the effort._

He had learned a lot about the structure of adventurer guilds, as well as about some specific details he hadn't known beforehand.

 _Crimson parchment is used to place adamantite missions, I should be able to produce that. And how was I to know that Blue Rose were friends with the third princess?_

He would love to call it a day and just spend the rest of his day in his chamber, but he had no such luxury.

 _I already told Demiurge to meet with me, despite his plans for the Roble Kingdom going through some final, exhausting preparations. If call it off now, I'd lose so much face my skull would come off._

While neither of them would admit it, the relationship between him and Demiurge was hampered by the fact that they were essentially in an arms race of effort put into the betterment of Nazarick. Ainz wanted to be a good leader and act as a role model for the guardians, while Demiurge desperately tried to catch up to his ridiculously high esteem for Ainz and prove his and the Guardians worth. He did not have a way to solve this conundrum yet and he felt it would only get worse.

 _Good greif, I'm starting to understand why so many managers become junkies._

When Ainz reached his chamber in , he ordered all his guards out of his room, told his maid to alert him on time when his meeting with Demiurge was and laid down in his bed, where he remained perfectly still for two and a half hours.

* * *

Demiurge entered the office, exactly a minute before he was told to, only to find it empty. He was rather puzzled by this.

"I'd have thought that Ainz-sama would be expecting me by now. How strange."

Twenty-three seconds later, a maid opened the door and Ainz strode in, looking at Demiurge.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Demiurge."

"Nonsense, I was the imprudent one for entering before I had been told to. I beg for your forgiveness."

"It is fine. In truth, I wish to conclude this matter with all possible haste as well, so I wish for you to use the most direct speech you deem adequate. After all, you have matters to conclude elsewhere."

Demiurge nodded at his masters sensible suggestion. He began:

"Here is my draft of the contract that you needed."

As an archdevil, drawing up an airtight contract was his specialty. He would usually use it to get people to sell their souls to him, but had found no targets yet that were worth turning into his minions.

"Mmh..."

Ainz read the contract carefully, his eyes slowly tracing along the print.

 _Was he studying it? Did I leave a gap that could be exploited?_

Ainz turned back to Demiurge, having read it to about its halfway point.

"The draft is a very solid basis for what I intend, yet I'd wish to briefly discuss a few points. I have met with the adventurer guildmaster here in E-Rantel, who had made a few suggestions for how to properly seize the attention of adventurers, adamantite teams in particular. For starters, a crimson parchment denotes a request intended for adamantite adventurers only, and they can only be legitimized by a guildmasters signature. Naturally, I secured Ainzach's cooperation for that matter."

Demiurge was baffled at his masters skill at persuading.

"Why do you trust him so much? Have you broken his will so thoroughly after your meeting with him?"

"Nothing of the sort. I merely gathered what information I could from having met him as Momon, and bound him to me by offering a chance to fulfill his dream for his guild, as well as demonstrating respect and faith in him."

Demiurge took a while to further appreciate his masters boundless wisdom and generosity. It was, however nothing new to him. He had saved the villagers of Carne and only demanded them to follow his orders in return, he resurrected Lizardmen for the mere price of loyalty, and he would spare all those who would kneel to him, no matter how weak they may be. Ainzs generosity truly was limitless.

He could do so, for he had the resources of Nazarick under his command. Demiurge however saw himself as a mere borrower of resources, who had to maximize the efficiency of all of his operations. If he could do something at no cost to Nazarick, he wouldn't care who had to foot the bill. It was, so he thought, the best way for a Guardian to work.

"As expected of you, Ainz-sama. Please continue."

"Another matter would be the reward for the adventurers themselves. If the adamantite adventurers agreed, they would receive 10 Re-Estize gold coins for funding their preparations once they assemble in E-Rantel. After completing their duty, each member shall be allowed to make one request of their own in front of me, as well as a request in the name of their group. I would place the monetary reward, if so chosen, to be at five hundred Nazarick coins, molten down to bars of 50 coins each. In addition to that, they shall receive permission to make use of the 9th floors facilities for two days after having passed through the eighth floor."

"A- Ainz-sama, isn't that last part too generous? After all, they are mere mercenaries, hired for a single task with no loyalty to be seen!"

"Really? I would deem it par for the course, if one considers them to be esteemed guests. And then there is the matter of understanding the nature of them when outside of combat, what interests or pleases them. If we wish to engage in a civilized fashion with them, knowing about this could make future dialogue easier."

Demiurge nodded. While he may not like being charitable himself, he understood that Ainz had things to gain from this charity, albe at a rate which he himself wouldn't put up with.

"Then, there is the last matter, concerning the reveal of the location of Nazarick. While the Baharuth Empire was informed by us ourselves about Nazaricks location, I would prefer to further delay the Kingdom and particularly the City-State Allegiance finding out its location. Naturally, the open declaration of its location will be prohibited by the contract, but unseen enemies of Nazarick might make their move on them afterwards. I have considered teleportation, but that would render Momon useless in regards as an escort. Would you have perhaps an idea on how to solve the problem?"

Demiurge thought about it for a moment. "I do have an idea now, but it would involve deploying your own supreme magic. May I continue?"

Ainz waved his hand magnanimously. "Certainly."

Demiurge smiled bitterly. "I believe that you would be the only denizen of Nazarick capable of pulling this feat off, though I am sure you had considered it yourself. In your place, I would have them escorted to the fake Tomb of Nazarick located in the Forest of Tob, with both it and true Nazarick having been prepared to have synchronized weather by our weather magic casters. As you seize their full attention before you release them to start their mock assault, you shall cast a [Silent Time Stop], which would be followed up by a [Delay: Mass Teleportation]. Of course, you could edit their memories with your magic as well, but that would be a far cruder, arduous plan."

He sighed in regret. "Alas, I do not have a better suggestion at hand."

"It is fine, Demiurge, I do not expect you to come up with better plans than I have. That would conclude the matter for the day. I shall contact you again in a few days time, to revise the final draft."

"Thank you very much, Ainz-sama. I shall arrive at your behest, punctually this time."

Ainz laughed softly in response. "I saw your early arrival as nothing more than a sign of your vigor to serve me well. Farewell, then."

As Ainz exited his room, Demiurge thought quietly to himself. "Perhaps Mare had a point in suggesting Ainz to take the name as the merciful King. Though that would have lead to people taking his mercy for granted."

* * *

Ainzach definitely wasn't taking his mercy for him for granted, as he worried about his assignment.

"Ah, there is no time to worry about that. Think, Ainzach, think! What does he want from you, exactly?"

 _He wished for me to think of a way to convince those adventurers who are considering joining us but are still on the fence about it to do so. It doesn't have to be perfect or done, it just has to be there in the morning. So think, if you were in their shoes, what would you be thinking?_

One of the main advantages of being an adventurer was being able to switch up cities and even states as their circumstances changed, with no need to rebuild their reputation, thanks to an internationally standardized ranking system. Working as an adventurer for the Sorcerous Kingdom would take that privilege away, as they wouldn't be allowed to resume work as an adventurer if they quit and started working abroad as part of their new policy. So how would he convince them that it was worth it, how could he let them taste the true adventuring that the sorcerer king promised?

"Taste the true adventures..., but of course!"

People would have a hard time abandoning something if they wouldn't have a good grasp on what they were being offered in return, so having the adventurers "try out" this true adventuring would be the thing they were looking for.

Of course, there would have to be benefits attached to actually becoming an adventurer, as well as the chance to reject those who would be deemed unfit in this free trial, but it was a plan for now.

"I think I see what he meant with people not thinking harder when given more time."

In truth, he likely wouldn't have thought about it at all for a day if he were given two. Not because he wasn't taking his job seriously, but because he lacked the resolve to do so.

Ainzach yawned, sitting down to write down his idea.

"His majesty must have ample spare time to ponder about his plans, what with him not needing to sleep. Maybe becoming undead does have its advantages. I wonder what he is thinking about now?"

* * *

Ainz skipped his "practice acting regally" routine that evening and nearly arrived late to his daily briefings with Albedo, having spent the night reading junk literature. He had decided that he had the right to indulge himself like that every once in a while. Besides, his eyes would never grow tired.

"I apologize for my late arrival, I hadn't kept track of time well."

"There is no need, Ainz-sama. You must have been very busy yesterday, as I can see by the reports coming in."

There were a few papers in Albedos hands, each having a red stamp on them, deeming them "urgent matters". Ainz was still scolding himself as he sat down.

He skimmed most papers, only stopping to see the requests of the Guardians that concerned Nazarick and the report that had came in late last night from Ainzach.

"Free adventuring trial?"

The idea wasn't a bad one on its own, but when he thought of the monumental costs that could rise up if the adventurers who would try it would come in large numbers and leave afterwards, he shuddered.

"Should I punish him for his extravagant suggestion, Ainz-sama?"

"No, I had ordered him to think as quickly as he could. This unpolished concept was the result of that. Still, I believe that the plan is salvageable.

If we only foot the bill for the expenses of food, while having them pay for the journey, rent and have them use their own equipment, we would save a lot of money while still having provided incentives. In addition to that, seeing the adventurers who would be escorting the adventurer "trial users" use the equipment he meant to provide would also boost their interest in them."

"Ooh, I see how you are thinking, Ainz-sama!"

"Really?" Ainz was curious what she had seen in his words.

"Yes! By having these expenses pushed on them, they would be spending money in our state, which through taxes and levies would in turn fill our own coffers. In addition, desperately hungering individuals among them may come here to be sated, only to find that they have no money to return home with, forcing them to settle down here as adventurers. What a fine plan indeed!"

He hadn't even thought of the other two benefits, but he could understand Albedo's line of thinking. Still, he felt mildly bad when Albedo pointed out his unseen hook in the arrangement, but shrugged it off. If he had to rely on desperation to get adventurers to join him, he would just have to make use of it.

"Indeed, Albedo. When you send your envoys to hire them, they shall place that offer of ours as well, once we finalize it, in the guildhall of the cities. Speaking of which, have you made your selection yet?"

"Yes, I have chosen four NPCs, and have been tutoring them up until now. They should be well prepared within three days."

"Do you mean you intend to tutor them the whole day and night for three days? That's cruel treatment for a denizen of Nazarick. They shall receive eight hours a day for themselves."

"But I had already administered Rings of Sustenance to them. They shouldn't need sleep."

Ainz sighed. He knew that all NPCs would be willing to work themselves around the clock, but he would not let them wear themselves down in such a manner. He had sworn to himself that he wouldn't allow such cruelty as HeroHero had experienced it in his new company to occur under his rule.

"Nonetheless, I shall not allow it. Having them do nothing but learn for three days straight is nothing short of oppression, or low-grade slavery. They shall be permitted to return to their stations for four hours, whereupon they shall not receive additional learning assignments to do there. This is my minimum conditions under which all NPCs should operate. I don't care if this delays my plans by a further day."

"You are too generous towards us, Ainz-sama. I shall inform them at once."

"Then go. I shall be tend to other matters as well."

* * *

 _A week later..._

Jircniv was currently drinking a potion that was supposed to intervene with balding. He had an expendable lord taste it beforehand, to ensure that it hadn't been poisoned. While his ring of the unicorn could detect poisons as well, he had started to suspect that the Sorcerer King had poisons at his disposal that could conceal themselves from its magic, thus leading him to using the cruder method of having a taster.

"It tastes like sour milk, but if it keeps my image, I shall endure it."

Ever since the vassalization of his empire, his popularity had become brittle within his own nation. The Sorcerer King had everything a ruler should have: wealth, might, intellect, charisma and the ability to terrify with a single gaze.

While none of the people had suffered ever since, he was still very much so aware that the Sorcerer King could singlehandedly take on his nation and slay every last person, no, living being in his Empire within two months. It would be an avalanche of the undead, every man slain by the Sorcerer King becoming a Death Knight, every person slain by a Death Knight becoming a Death Squire.

He winced, his stomach aching at the thought of it. It would do no good to think about his nation falling, it was his job to prevent that now. He had to be very wary of what the Sorcerer Kingdom did and balance appeasing and opposing well.

"Your Majesty! We have news about the Sorcerer King!"

He looked over to his scribe who had come running to him.

"Yes? What is he doing now?"

"He had sent a messenger from his nation, they are headed for the adventurer guild in Arwinter! They wish to promote the adventurer guild in E-Rantel and are trying to hire Eight Ripples!"

Jircniv shuddered, thinking about the intentions behind these actions.

 _While his last visit here was made under the guise of trying to hire adventurers for his guild, it seems he is serious this time around. And he wants to hire the strongest first! This would mean that he wants to decrease our number of monster fighters! Is he preparing to invade us? No that couldn't be it._

Jircniv was starting to pant as his mind painted a picture before his eyes.

 _No, he wants to set us up as bait for other nations to attack! Weakened by his plan, especially if he plans to reveal Fluders betrayal, we surely be attacked by other nations surrounding our borders, giving him a casus belli to openly occupy our territories and destroy the aggressors._

He only saw one way to prevent this fate.

"Send funds to the adventurer guilds, twice as much as we would usually do. Tell them to increase the payment for all monster bounties by half of what they already are. Make sure that the adventurers here have work, especially Eight Ripples!"

"Are you certain of this?"

"Of course I am, now go!"

Having said that, he scribe strode forth, as fast as he dared to. With him gone, Jircniv allowed himself to relax a little.

"Ah, I might have finally caught up to you, Ainz Ooal Gown." he chuckled, satisfied with himself. True, the matter of producing those finances back would be of concern to him now, but that could wait til tomorrow. He raised a goblet that was filled with wine and toasted in a mocking fashion.

 _Here's to you, my bloody rival._

* * *

It was a searing hot day in Peibart, a city state of the Karnassus alliance. Although autumn was approaching, the heatwave they were experiencing was like a final attempt of the dying summer to keep the city in its grasp. Most vendors and guilds had closed for a midday break to beat the heat, leaving the city feeling eerily still.

Only two figures were on the streets, the first being a man with a scarf wrapped around his face to protect himself from the blazing sun, with only his eyes peering out. He had a silver dog tag and warrior equipment under a cloak, clearly identifying him as an adventurer.

His companion was a mysterious figure, with overly large round paws in the place of hands, cat ears peering out of the hood of its black robes. The face under the cowl was covered by an ominous shadow, so that only a pair of round golden orbs could be seen where eyes would usually be, as well as a row of grinning sharp teeth, like the ones seen on carnivorous beasts. His name was Aminya, and he had been sent to recruit the team "Silver Canary" adventurers.

The man stopped in front of a large, two-story house and knocked on the door. It was opened by a young bald man, who was dressed in a strange orange robe. He looked a bit perplexed to the man who was in front of him, then looked in shock toward the creature behind the adventurer.

"This is the house you were looking for, so I'll be going now."

"Not so fast now, it would be rude to not give you anything in return, wouldn't it?"

The cat spirit fished a silver coin, and flipped it in the air. The adventurer caught it, took a glance at it before spitting on it and headed away.

"Now, may I enter? I'm the envoy of his majesty the Sorcerer King and he wishes for me to accomplish my mission with all due haste."

Unkei nodded, beckoning him inside. He lead him into the main room, where the other members of the team "Silver Canary" were gathered, either sitting on or standing behind a couch.

Their leader looked nervously at the spirit. "Would you like to take a seat?" He offered, gesturing at an armchair across them. Aminya nearly curled up on it instinctively, but just barely remembered not to do so, lest he be punished by Albedo for his behavior.

He pulled out a number of papers before opening with:"Greetings. My name is Aminya of Nazarick. Since you have agreed to hear me out on this offer, I shall only briefly summarize the job. It is not a simple monster hunting job, but more similar to an inspection. Your job shall be to breach the defenses of the Sorcerer Kings lair, as well as to report on the weaknesses you find in their structure. Are there any questions so far?"

"May we know where this lair of his is located?" asked Söderstein, the teams strategist.

Aminya grinned a bit more as he responded: "Not as of yet. You shall find out about it after you all sign this contract." He listed through the papers in his paws, pulling out a document among them that he slid across the short table between them.

It was picked up by Powapon, their teams totem shaman. He read the contract slowly, due to him having a hard time reading the Re-Estize writ. He did however get the gist of it, that they wouldn't be allowed to talk about the lair, especially it's location, to anyone else besides themselves.

"This would have been the third topic addressed, but it might have been for the better to get that out of the way first. Now let's talk about the final point, your reward."

The team of adventurers had there interest peaked. The request they had read had promised "lavish rewards" to them if they complete the job. They wanted to know what that entailed.

"Upon agreeing to the contract, you shall receive ninety gold coins in advance, as well as access to ten more upon arriving in E-Rantel for funding provisions and equipment. Further than that, you shall all have the right to buy gear usually exclusive to members of the Sorcerer Kings adventurer guild."

This was an impressive payment even on it's own, but they listend on to what the spirit had to say.

"Upon completing your tasks, you'll receive the treatment of a guest of honor at his palace for two days and the right to an audition with the sorcerer king, where you shall be granted a request!" His voice spiked up at that last bit. He knew that if he succeeded in convincing the adventurers, he would be granted one as well and had spent a lot of time pondering over what he'd wish for.

"What does that mean, a request? Without any nonsense!" Fan Long demanded. He was visibly irritated by the spirits demeanor.

 _Oh dear, was I acting unfit? I need to focus again._

"A request from the King would mean what it implies, the right to a wish from the Sorcerer King. In the case that you desire money, you shall be granted a thousand Re-Estize gold coins in the shape of golden bars, to put a price on the request."

"What?"

"Come again?"

Several jaws had dropped after hearing that sum. They could live comfortably for two decades from that kind of money, three if they managed it well.

"Each of you shall have the right to one request, as well as one in the name of the whole team. Bear in mind though that the other rewards offered might well be more valuable than the monetary rewards. You may as well request powerful spell books or potions, legendary gear and weapons or even a transmutation, if you so desire!"

They were shaken by the offer they were presented. It was either too good to be true and therefore a trap or an offer that intended to put them in the Sorcerer King's debt. Either way, they were uneasy.

"How can we be guaranteed that the Sorcerer King will pay forward that sum?" asked Söderstein. He was very cautious about the whole deal.

"Why, by signing the reward contract here! Of course, in the case that a party breaks a rule of one of the contracts, all of them shall become void."

"It's a binding of debt after all, then." muttered their leader, Freivalds. They could not tell about their exploits, lest their rewards are demanded back, and they couldn't hold back on giving them the rewards or they'll leak the information they gained.

"So, how shall you decide?" Aminyas smile got a bit broader as he asked.

They looked at each other, then at their leader. It was clear that they were scared, but more than that, they were mesmerized by what may well be their biggest offer ever. Finally, Freivalds answered: "We accept."

The cat spirit joyously smacked his paws together. "Splendid! Just sign the contracts and we're off!"

* * *

Character Sheets:

Nautelle, Heteromorphic race

Title: Keeper of the Deep

Job: Great Tomb of Nazarick, 4th floor Area Guardian

Residence: 4th floor, bottom of the lake (Deep cavern)

Alignment: Neutral, Sense of Justice (75)

Racial level: Water elemental 10 lvl

Nymph 3 lvl

Angler Fish Nymph 3 lvl

Job level: Stalker 5 lvl

Elementalist (Water) 5 lvl

Commander 4 lvl

Other

Total levels: 34 lvl

Aminya, Heteromorphic Race

Title: Trickster of the Jungle

Job: Great Tomb of Nazarick, 6th floor Area Guardian

Residence: 6th floor, Jungle border (Area where Shalltear caught Arche)

Alignment: Neutral, Sense of Justice: (-25)

Racial level: Cat spirit 10 lvl

Higher cat spirit 1 lvl

Job level: Illusionist 10 lvl

Trap forger 7 lvl

Spy 3 lvl

Other

Total levels: 33 lvl

Theo Rakheshir, Human Race

Title: Magic Fanatic

Job: Guildmaster of the Magician Guild of E-Rantel

Residence: E-Rantel, Residence close to adventurer guildmaster

Job level: Wizard ? lvl

Academic Wizard ? lvl

Magic developer ? lvl

Birthday: Lower fire month, 14th day

Hobbies: Analyzing powerful magical gear and items

* * *

Thank you for reading my work. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the reviews. And as always, All Hail Ainz Ooal Gown!


	2. Journey to E-Rantel

The vendors in Re-Estize were packing their wares, most of them with considerably more luggage than they had owned when they had arrived in E-Rantel. It was a grim sign that the people in the city were eager to sell their goods, which usually foretold a shortage of food.

Between the loss of many people, especially farmers, at the massacre at the Katze Plains and the assault of Jaldabaoth on the capital, the citizens of E-Rantel were in a dire financial position. There was insufficient food, too little workers and a lack of money to hire people among the simple traders and guilds of the city. The conflict between the noble and the royal faction was inching towards a civil war and had turned the kingdom into a veritable powder keg.

In this environment, adventurers were becoming a luxury that neither of the factions wanted to hire or could the commoners afford. And although none of the factions wished to admit this, there was a grim logic behind their inaction: When monsters couldn't be payed to be defeated, the amount of hungry mouths would go down as well.

It was therefore the talk of the whole adventurer guild that the adventurers were offered the chance to work at the Sorcerous Kingdom for food, without binding them to the state. What was even more of a hot topic however, was the Sorcerer Kings ambition to hire „Blue Rose" for a project of his.

The guildmaster had thought if she should verify the offer for several days, but in the end she permitted it. When she was asked why she had done so by the other adventurers, her response was:

"The last time someone ever asked me to permit an adamantite request was over a decade ago, because they're always being hired from behind my back. If this isn't a sign of good will, I wouldn't know what is. Plus, as much as it disheartens me to see him agree with that undead monster, Ainzach had always put adventurers first, so his word is proof enough for me."

The crimson letter that hung on the guilds billboard read:

Dear adamantite adventurers of the team Blue Rose,

I, the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown, wish to hire you to travel to my kingdom for a unique job. The mission shall be one where you shall be competing against other adamantite teams from other nations. If you wish to discuss the details of this contract, a messenger of mine shall be waiting at a mansion in the upper district bearing my crest. There will be promises of great rewards if you brave this quest of mine. I shall await your answer.

Sincerely, Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown

Another letter, addressed to all adventurers in the guild, read:

Adventurers and those who wish to become them:

I have a special offer to the daring few who wish to taste true adventuring: come to my realm, and I shall offer you an adventure, free to you. To experience working for my nation, an expedition to the Azerlisia Mountains is planned and will accept up to ten adventurers who wish to join. Food, water and basic healing, all of this shall be provided at no expense. Cartographic skills and the ability to cook are of noteworthy attention to us, and individuals with those qualifications will recieve preference in the event that too many applicants arrive.

Completing a mission such as this may also serve as an evaluation. This means that the participants may immediately become full members of our adventurer's guild, provided they prove themselves worthy and befitting our vision. This offer shall only last as long as we deem it necessary, so there is no guarantee the offer will be honored if you arrive late. Seize this opportunity while it lasts!

Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown

„Will they go? Who knows if it's a trap or something?"

„Man, I wish them the best of luck if they take that offer. I heard that E-Rantel is a city of the undead by now."

„You get that from the temples? I heard that the people there are still living, even better than we are doing here."

„I heard that there are no more bounties on the goblins or even the undead there, since they count as people there as well."

„What the hell? How would that even work?"

„It's all just so bizarre, like a fable come to life."

„It gets better: Guess what kind of monsters manage the city? Elder liches, with death knights serving as their enforcers!"

„Given how our clercs look like, we might have had that idea first."

Some laughter spread through the room, but quickly died away.

„Our team is saving up for a trip and back. Don't want to be stuck somewhere we aren't free."

„We might as well, but if Blue Rose tells us not to go there or doesn't even come back, we're staying the hell away from that place."

"We're almost so desperate we'd go there anyways. It's not easy being an iron rank nowadays."

"It never was, grasshopper."

A murmur of agreement went through the hall. Everyone present was now awaiting Blue Roses reaction. It would determine whether they'd dare to travel to the Sorcerous kingdom as well or not.

* * *

"Greetings, Lady Alvein!" the royal guards called whilst saluting.

It was a friendly cheer, as one would greet a comrade. They had become a lot more companionable after she had fought side by side with them against the forces of Jaldabaoth. Lakyus smiled back, replying:

"Greetings to you too, I am here to meet with Princess Renner."

"Understood, good day to you then."

Lakyus was wearing a dress, as etiquette demanded from a Lady meeting with royalty. It didn't bother her, as she enjoyed dressing up occasionally, an interest her teammates didn't share.

 _At least I can talk with Renner-kun about these things. I do wish the others wouldn't be so uptight about their clothing, though._

When she arrived at the door to the Princess's chambers, she called out seemingly to no one: "You can come out of hiding now."

Two ninjas appeared in the corners of the ceiling and dropped down left and right next to her. They had concealed their presence whilst they had clambered along the top of the walls of the palace. Although it didn't make them invisible, they would remain unseen save for someone with keen eyesight looking straight at them. They had snuck in with Lakyus when she had taken the attention of the guards.

Lakyus knocked at the door, hearing the muffled voice of the princess call out: "You may enter!"

The three of them entered and were greeted by Renner with her beautiful smile. "Welcome! How are you today?"

"We're doing fine, thank you." Lakyus walked up to Renner, who embraced her with a friendly hug. Renner looked behind her, asking her in a puzzled way: "Didn't you say that your whole team will join us this time? Where are Evileye and Gargaran then?"

Tina replied: "About that..."

"We might want to arrange the room for their arrival." her twin sister continued.

"They'll be making their own entry soon enough." Tina and Tia walked up to the table that was in front of the window and moved it into the shadow along with the chairs.

"Huh? Are they teleporting into my chamber?"

Lakyus opened the window, letting out a sigh in a mildly frustrated manner.

"No, it's a bit different than that..."

* * *

A strange pair was flying over the garden of Ro Lente castle, a warrior clad in dark magenta armor who was dangling from the legs of what one could suppose to be a child wearing a strange mask. They were both adamantite adventurers, as one could see by their tags around their necks, and they were squabbling.

„You're too heavy, Gargaran! I can't believe I agreed to this!"

„You flew Momon over half our city without complaining, what's your deal?!"

„He was lighter than you and I had support!"

 _Besides, I got to hold tight onto Momon and see him fight Jaldabaoth! All I'll get to do now is chuck you through the window like a bag of meat!_

Evileye was grateful she had her silencing relic, otherwise the both of them would have long since been spotted due to the commotion they were causing. The sight of her flying with Gargaran hanging onto her ankles would've been a comical one to any onlookers, but she knew she'd have died of shame if anyone saw her like this.

 _Well, at least the messenger was pretty friendly, but how are we supposed to grasp the entirety of that monstrously long contract? At least they made it easy to read, but it's still just over twenty pages long! How are we to know that two seemingly harmless paragraphs don't in fact bind our souls to the Sorcerer King's immortal will or something when combined?! Why is this contract so ridiculously complicated?_

„We're almost at the window shorty, keep going!"

„I see it, meathead!"

Evileye flew higher, lining up Gargaran with the window of Renners room. Just before she'd crash into the wall, Evileye flew back, swinging Gargaran towards the window.

„Brace yourself!"

Evileye felt Gargaran let go of her ankles and heard a clang against the floor of Renner's room. The fact that she hadn't heard anything breaking meant that the room had been arranged in time for their unorthodox arrival. She then flew in as well, panting heavily as she landed on the floor. Evileye took off her mask to better catch her breath, exposing her vampiric face to the occupants of the room.

Meanwhile, Gargaran was laying on her back, still sweating from the ordeal she had dealt with.

„I... I think I'm gonna take the regular exit." Gargaran panted, sitting up on the floor before being helped up by Tia and Tina.

Evileye turned to face Renner, who was visibly amused by the things that had happened and asked the two of them: „Are you both well? Should I pour you some tea?"

Gargaran smiled back at her, still panting as she wheezed out: „Thanks, but I'd prefer some water, or something that hadn't been boiled."

„I'm not thirsty, so you don't need to offer me something."

Evileye hadn't thirsted in a long time, thanks to a ring she wore. It would be bad for everyone around her if she became... thirsty.

„Alright, I'll have a maid get a glass of water when she arrives. Would you two please take a seat?"

She gestured over to two empty tables that were placed across her side of the table.

„I requested a larger table to accommodate my guests, so you can sit as well."

„Did you also ask for a broader chair for Musclehead over here?"

„The hell you talking about?" Gargaran snapped back at Evileye."

The rest of the team was visibly annoyed as the both of them sat down. Renner clapped her hands before asking: „Now then, are you ready? I'd like to start discussing the contracts."

"Yes. We've read the contracts and the invitation, so we'd discuss what we analysed about it while you start reading." Lakyus answered.

"Tina and I were tasked with studying the writing style, but so far, we haven't found anything strange." Tia started, nodding to her sister.

"It's Ainzach's writing style, all right, and his hand was firm, not like they'd be when someone were uneasy. The grammar also doesn't seem muddled either, in the way that charmed or brainwashed people tend to have. In short, it seems like Ainzach believes what the Sorcerer King says to be true."

"The papers themselves also aren't magical, so the contract won't alter itself if we sign it." Evileye added.

They went back and forth for a bit more, running out of information to be presented long before Renner had gotten through with the reading. The nervous silence was making Evileye's mind race.

 _Why does this feel like an elaborate trap? All the signs point towards this being really as straight forward as it was, but it just feels so... artificial, deliberate. It's like a silence where there shouldn't be none, or a lake that's too still. Why do I feel like a fish on a hook? No, I can't let my fears rule my thoughts. I'm Evileye, a woman of legend! I shall not be intimidated, no matter how imposing the other side may be! But my gut instincts are screaming at me this is a bad idea. Ah, what would Momon do?_

Renners smile faded back, replaced by a more serious face as she finally looked up from the pages and stated: "The contracts seem all to be without any hooks attached, with the exception of the 'non-disclosure' clause."

„Does it ask too much of us? Is it a way to lock us up at his lair?" Lakyus asked. If either were the case, the job was not even worth considering.

„No, it doesn't have an effect on you per-say, but it could lead to a disaster if you breach the terms. The contract states that if you tell anybody where the lair is and the Sorcerous Kingdom finds out about it, they are more or less granted to do as they please to counter the spread of information. If it leaks out to the King or a high noble, they'd even have a right to invade a country."

„So in short, we can't tell anybody about anything critical, unless we wish to be attacked?" Tina asked with a sour look on her face. The massacre at the Katze Plains illustrated that an attack from the Sorcerer King would be the kingdom's doom.

„Correct. However, there are some advantages to this job. For starters, the contract grants you the right to be resurrected in the case of death, as humans, by the Sorcerer Kings own magic. Another point is that you won't be forbidden to talk about E-Rantel or about the Sorcerer King himself. This may be one of the few chances we may get to legally infiltrate his Kingdom. Finally, seeing his lair may be an advantage if we have to fight him in the future."

No one from Blue Rose could refute that. They will obviously be studied during their mission, but it was a good opportunity to study the other side as well. The reward was also absurdly large, more than some lower nobles would possessed even with all their assets and landholdings. This could tip the tides in the favor of the royal faction if they secure the rewards.

„Then, we'll vote now: Who is opposed to us accepting the job?", Lakyus asked her team.

No one answered. They all were uneasy about the job, but they couldn't afford to not accept it.

„Then, who wants us to accept the job?"

There was a pregnant pause as no one replied again. Evileye looked around the table, seeing that all her teammates had serious expressions on their faces. No one was willing to start with their answers, as this was a weighty choice to make. She breathed in deeply before replying:

„For the sake of Momon, who stayed behind to shield E-Rantel, I have to go there. I need to know what had happend when he became his vassal."

For a short while, Evileye feared that her argument hadn't been enough to push them, but then Gargaran responded:

„If we don't take this job, we'll be missing out on a chance to get stronger gear. Who knows if we'll get another opportunity to get weapons like that, we don't have the luxury anymore of just being able to buy better gear anymore."

„We both think that infiltrating E-Rantel might be a difficult task. This is a chance for us in that regard too." Tia continued. Tina simply nodded at what her sister said.

Lakyus smiled gently to the princess: „We could also use the monetary reward to finance you're project, the orphanage you wished to build."

„I couldn't accept that offer on your end. I'd have no way to repay you."

„Then it shall be a donation on my end, not as a adventurer, but as a noblewoman patron. Is that fine, Renner?"

Renner tried to hold her composure as best as she could, but she still shed a small tear. With her voice cracking up she replied: „Thank you. Thank you so much..."

Lakyus bent over and hugged her, then wiped her tear away with a handkerchief with a gentle, almost motherly smile. However, the very next second she dropped all of her gentleness, replacing it with a determination in her voice as hard as stone.

„Everyone, prepare to move out. We're going to E-Rantel!"

* * *

Cocytus was currently advancing towards the throne room, having been summoned by Ainz Ooal Gown. He had been ordered to conclude the matters at hand with the Lizardmen, in order to make sure that issues don't arise in his absence. He had delegated the supervision of the works on the new fish farm to Zaryushu Shasha for the meantime, as preparations for a harvest and penning of new fries were coming to a close. This, however, resulted in him arriving far later than the other Guardians.

"Cocytus, where were you all this time?", a cheerful young voice called out. While it sounded mocking, he had learned from the Lizardmen he had trained what banter was all about, so instead of feeling attacked, he just turned back and replied:

"Aura. I. Had. Work. To. Finish. Outside. Of. Nazarick. Unlike. You."

Aura giggled, as she skittered to a halt in front of him. "Hehe! I hoped to see you before the meeting."

"It. Is. Nice. To. See. You. Too. But. Where. Is. Your. Brother?"

Aura's smile stayed, but it shifted to something more apologetic, as she pointed around the corner of the hall. As if on cue, Cocytus heard a low moan.

"He's not in a good state."

Around the corner, they saw Mare cowering in the corner of the room. His breathing was ragged, his eyes wide with panic and he trembled like a leaf in the wind.

"He's been like that ever since we were summoned. I can't get to him, neither by scolding or by comforting him. It's a bit of a pain, but I really feel bad for him as well."

"Why. Is. He. Like. This?"

"He couldn't fully fulfill his orders that he received, to lower and prepare Nazaricks defenses."

Cocytus nodded, clicking with his mandibles. He too had once failed an order, and he had felt similarly at that time as well. He wasn't sure how to approach him, but he felt morally obligated to give him some comfort - to the best of his abilities, at any rate.

"Mare."

Cocytus knelt down to look him in the eye, or at least as close to that as he could get.

"Your. Failure. Is. Not. An. Irredeemable. Tragedy. If. You. Learn. From. It. I. Too. have. Failed. An. Order. Given. To. Me. Once. And. Rose. Above."

Slowly, Mares breathing calmed down a little, but his trembling remained. He swallowed several time before he mustered an answer."Bu- But how will I- I face A-... A- Ainz-sama?"

Cocytus exhaled deeply, then answered: "You. Shall. Present. Yourself. Like. All. Other. Guardians. Would. Do. And. Trust. Ainz-sama. To. Make. The. Right. Call. After. All. What. He. Says. Is. Law."

He moved closer, then gave Mare a pat on his head, as he had seen Ainz do. The small gesture finally made Mare's bloodshot eyes relax, allowing a tear to streak down his cheek. Aura knelt down next to her brother as well and give him a hug. She smiled at him as she picked him up in comfort.

"There, there. You didn't have to make that big of a fuss out of this, now did you?"

"If you say so...", he replied meekly, but without stuttering.

"Are the three of you ready? It wouldn't be wise to keep our supreme leader waiting", Albedo called out, in a rather strict tone. The other Guardians had assembled behind them in formation during their pep talk, without the others noticing.

"Yes!" They replied together, taking their respective places in the entourage.

On Albedo's signal, the Guardians strode in the Throne room in sync, as did the Area Guardians present, Nautelle and Aminya. Once they arrived at their stations, they bowed down all at once.

"We gather here, summoned by Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sorcerer King, the last Supreme Being of the 41!" Albedo decreed.

"All hail Ainz Ooal Gown!" They responded.

Ainz looked over his kneeling subjects for a while, then made a lifting motion with his arm, declaring in a regal fashion: „You may rise."

They stood up in unison, awaiting what he had to say.

„The matter of my summon today is my plans for a mock excursion to take place, here in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. To start with, I'd like to see the developments for the modifications needed for this exercise. Mare, would you present your results so far?"

„Y-yes! As you had or-ordered, two of our mages had b-.. been deployed to the fake Nazarick in the Forest of Tob: A weathermancer a-and a [Message] caster. The tr... traps with „per-use-expenses" have been deactivated. A-All NPCs and mercenary monsters were told of the adventurer party, but..." Mare paused at this point, not being sure how to address such a delicate issue.

„If you have a problem, just say so. There is something or someone who is causing you issues, am I right?"

Mare looked down, his eyes watering up.

„I-... I couldn't enter the eighth floor, so I sent a [Message] spell to all the guardians there. But!..."

At this point, Mare looked like he was about to break down again. He started sobbing the tears he had tried so hard to contain.

The awkward scene would have been stopped by Albedo, had Ainz not stepped forward to embrace Mare. He produced a handkerchief out of thin air to wipe his tears away. The onlooking Guardians almost shed a tear themselves, as they all, with the exception of Shalltear, remembered a similar scene.

„It is fine, Mare. Tell me what you couldn't do."

Ainz's voice no longer held the authority of a god or king, but the compassion of a father.

Mare began anew: "I... I couldn't enter the eighth f-floor, so I sent a [Message] to Victim, to have him re-relay the order. But!..."

he sniffed in deeply before continuing. "Some of the... Some of the Area guardians wouldn't obey. They... they refused t-to stand down. I couldn't do anything after that! I just couldn't. I couldn't, I couldn't..."

"Mare, stop."

Ainz's voice cut in through the muttering. "You failed at ordering all the Area Guardians to stand down, but there is no fault in that. No, if there is any fault to be had, it is mine, for I may as well have ordered you to stop the rising of the sun. Those Guardians that didn't stand down were designed that way. Their purpose is to counter intruders who would try to order the Tomb to stand down using World Class Items to conceal their identity. Unless I issue an order while bearing the guild staff, those Guardians won't stand down. Therefore, I shall deal with them after this summon."

„Bu-But.. Ainz-shama..."

He placed a bony finger under Mares chin, gently nudging it up. Looking him in the eye, he stated. „I have ordered you to prepare Nazarick, and you did your best. I wouldn't expect any more, nor any less of you."

Turning to the Guardians, he then declared: „This is an order! No one shall chastise Mare for failing to command all the Area Guardians of the eighth floor to stand down. Anyone who believes that his actions were insufficient may address that to me in person only!"

„We understood, oh Ainz-sama!" they replied, bowing down again.

Ainz returned to his throne before addressing his next subject:

"You may rise. Now, it is time to view the results of the messengers. Albedo, wold you care to present a full report?"

"Yes, Ainz-sama! I have prepared the report as you requested!

The team "Red Drop" were currently on a mission, so they had declined our offer. The messenger we had sent to them, Dovahkin, had an encounter with a group of highwaymen on the way back, so her return is delayed by about a week.

On the plus side, she managed to restrain those bandits, resulting in her becoming informed of a fifth adamantite team by the local authorities, known as "Crystal Tear", who reside currently in the Draconic Kingdom.

Varsyl, who was sent to recruit Eight Ripples, was too late to meet with the adventurers, as they were intercepted by a messenger of Emperor Jircniv Rune Farvin El-Nix. It appears that the Empire had countered our "trial offer" with a subvention of his own."

"Mmh. I seems he's countering our head-hunting attempts. Perhaps we should send a messenger to him to explain our intentions to him?"

"Who should we send to him? One of us?", Demiurge asked. His grin seemed to be filled with anticipation for their masters answer.

"No, it would be better to have someone stationed there who could be left there for an indeterminable while. In which case, I'll have Varsyl study the Emperor. Albedo, your task will be to monitor and teach Varsyl as our first prototype for a state diplomat. He may make use of whatever resources or skills he possesses and deems necessary for this mission. In addition, it may be a good idea to have the rulers that are under us meet each other. Therefore, have Riyuro travel to the Emperor's court. Tell him to speak freely about his experiences with us."

"What a great plan indeed, Ainz-sama! I shall do as you desire! Then, may I finish the report?"

Meanwhile, Cocytus felt that some master plan had just been set in motion, but he didn't know what it could be. He felt like his intellect was worlds apart from the one Demiurge, Albedo and especially Ainz had. Thus, he could do nothing but shrug it off.

 _I must sharpen my mind as I would my blades to be a better Guardian,_ he concluded.

"Certainly Albedo, continue.", Ainz concurred to Albedo, who nodded in return.

"The recruitment of Blue Rose and Silver Canary was a success, and they should both arrive within the next two days in E-Rantel. Finally, I deemed the performance of both our messengers to be fitting of a future diplomat. Additionally, the performance of our spy in Re-Estize was loyal to our intentions as well."

"Then, I would like to reward the two of you." Ainz replied, turning his attention to the Area Guardians present.

He beckoned them to step forward, leaning forward in his seat.

"You have done well, so you have both deserve a reward. State your wish, whatever it may be, and I'll try my best to fulfill it. Nautelle, you go first."

The nymph nervously stepped forward through the ranks, having become the center of attention everyone present. She looked around a bit, but calmed when she reminded herself that everyone looking was harboring any ill will towards her.

"Uhm, I'd like to have a bed in my chambers. A nice and big one, to relax in after work."

"It shall be done. The bed will need to be custom crafted, of course, to be able to be submerged without deteriorating. You may discuss any details you desire in your bed with the Chief Blacksmith. Then, Aminya, it's your turn."

"Yes!" he shouted out, before stepping back a bit, reddening in shame. "My apologies, I got a little to excited."

"I accept your apology, so continue."

Aminya sighed out in relief and replied: "I would like to have a summon of yours, Ainz-sama, to function as a test dummy for my traps."

"Granted. I shall summon a Death Knight that shall be at your disposal. In case you need the knight to heal, simply casting dark energy spells should suffice. The two of you may return."

As the Area Guardians went back, he turned his attention back to the Guardians. He asked:

"Now, are there any questions or suggestions from you for this experiment? If so, now is the time to ask them."

Cocytus swallowed down the question he wanted to ask, knowing well that his request would be unreasonable. He clicked his mandibles out of tension, which unfortunately earned him the attention of everyone present.

 _It seems everyone is expecting me to speak up now. How can I react?_

In the end, his warrior instincts overrode his fears, so he stated boldly:

"I. Would. Like. Do Duel. Against. The. Adventurers. If. Possible."

A moment of silence filled the room, as every muscle in Cocytus' body was clenched in nervous anticipation of the answer.

"Cocytus, I can't permit that, as your strength exceeds theirs by far. You would overpower them in an instant."

Cocytus looked down, clenching his fist in frustration at his own foolishness.

 _I knew that, but I had to ask anyways. Why?..._

His thoughts were interrupted by Demiurge, who asked: "Ainz-sama, if I may?"

"But of course. What do you have to add to that?"

"Thank you very much _._ I believe that the reason Cocytus asked for this is because he has the desire to prove himself as a Guardian, in the truest sense of the word, isn't that so?"

"You. Understood. Well."

A grin spread over Demiurge's face, practically brimming with excitement.

"While Cocytus would surely be too strong of an opponent, it would be a different matter entirely for the Lizardmen he had trained, now would it?"

* * *

It had been half a day since Blue Rose had entered the Sorcerous Kingdom, and so far, their expectations had been shattered left and right in the city of E-Rantel itself. Somehow, against everything they believed to be true, undead powerful enough to take on legions of soldiers were coexisting with, even helping the human and non-human residents of the city.

They were currently incognito in E-Rantel, with Evileye, Tina and Gargaran currently sitting in a pub. Meanwhile, Tia and Lakyus were questioning the residents of the city on how things had developed since the day the city had been seceded to the Sorcerer King. Gargaran just downed a large beer mug, then slammed the empty mug down on their table, wiping her mouth with her free hand.

"So, I saw you were getting some weird looks from those scary skeletons. Did they sense your fangs or something?" Gargaran asked, with a big grin on her face.

"Impossible, I have several items protecting my secret. It might have been you who they're eyeing at." Evileye responded, her voice flat and measured.

"Ugh, no thanks. I'd rather not have their attention."

"What kind of attention would you even want in this place?", Tina asked.

"Some sweet guy, shooting some nervous glances at me, with some cherries to pop." she replied smugly, already anticipating Evileye's response.

Evileye groaned, exclaiming: "You really had to ask-"

She cut herself off mid sentence when she saw the door swing open, with Lakyus and Tia entering. Gargaran waved over to them, beckoning them to join their table. Once they were seated, Evileye asked: "So, what did you find out?"

"Well...", Lakyus began, "For starters, the moral of the city is surprisingly high, considering the circumstances. Of course, the temples are devastated, but they are currently being ignored by the Sorcerer King, while they're not plotting any uprising any time soon."

"Guess those undead we saw patrolling might have been a reason why." Gargaran interjected.

"Furthermore, I saw a few orphanages, financed by the Sorcerous Kingdom. I visited one of them, and it was in surprisingly good shape, with no signs that the children were being treated poorly."

Lakyus paused, glancing off to a man and a dwarf having a conversation with each other on a table next to them.

"It's strange. Before we came here, I thought that nothing but Momon's presence here was keeping the people here safe, that the Sorcerer King would use brutality and despair to keep the population quiet. But now..."

"I know.", said Evileye, "This undead king may be far more capable at governing than we gave him credit for."

"Mm-hm." Tia cleared her throat to get the attention of her teammates. "I don't have too much to add, but there's still one thing that's suspicious. The slums were more or less all torn down, and the people that use to live there are no longer in the city. Residents say they were relocated to the abandoned frontier villages, along with some of the undead forces, but I'd keep an eye out for that."

"I agree." Tina followed up. "Things are looking a little too perfect here in E-Rantel. If there's no reliable contact, besides what the Sorcerer King controls, we may want to investigate those villages later on. Worst case scenario, they could have been sent away to be killed instead of becoming pioneers."

"Alright then, we'll add that to the list of things to do once the jobs done. Anything else, Tia?"

"No, just more of what you said earlier."

"Then let's get going. Would be rude to keep the guild waiting."

The party headed out together, towards the adventurer guild hall. The tavern they just left hadn't been too far from their destination, but along the way, Evileye could have sworn that the mutterings increased as they progressed along.

"They do look familiar, but from where?"

"Isn't that Blue Rose?"

"But that's a guy right? Shouldn't they be all girls?"

"Maybe that's Gargaran, she's a top tier warrior after all."

Luckily, they reached the guild before anyone had dared to call them out in public. Lakyus paused in front of the door and looked over the main building.

"Well, it looks like it did a few years back, but let's not make that call too quickly", Lakyus remarked as she opened the door and marched into the guildhall, tense with anticipation.

Indeed, the main hall room looked exactly as ever - but not the occupants. A single, nervous looking woman was at the reception, and only two groups of adventurers were currently present. One of them looked rather average, but the other seemed as out of place as Blue Rose. An ape Beastman, a bard, a bald man in a strange tunic, a strangely dressed black-skinned man and a seasoned assassin. It was beyond a doubt who this team was.

"Silver Canary, how nice to meet you in person.", Lakyus said, stretching her hand out to the bard, who was currently sitting at a table in the corner.

"Oh, so you knew I was the leader? You're rather well informed. You must be Lakyus, and that must be your team. Name's Freivalds, It's an honor to meet you."

"It's an honor for us as well."

"Ah, I see your already making introductions! Welcome to the adventurer guild of E-Rantel!" An imposing voice called out from behind Lakyus.

She turned around to see a muscular looking man, with graying hair and mustache come down the stairs. Before anyone could reply, he continued: "The name is Pluton Ainzach, Guildmaster here in E-Rantel, at your service."

He looked rather joyous, accomplished even.

"So, what is going to happen now?" Evileye asked.

Although it wasn't visible to outsiders, her team knew that Evileye was currently eyeing Ainzach suspiciously. Tia and Tina weren't exactly warming up to his company either.

"Straight to business with you, huh? Well, I guess I do owe you all a briefing at this point. Follow me, we'll need a bigger table." Ainzach replied, gesturing for them to follow him up the stairs.

Warily, Blue Rose went ahead, with Silver Canary tagging behind. They were lead into a small meeting room, where two tables had been set up with six chairs each.

"Wait, who's joining us?", Tina asked, eyeing at the two extra chairs.

She had one hand in her back pocket, visibly ready to strike at whatever came her way.

Ainzach looked rather startled, but quickly figured out why she was so apprehensive.

"Ah, there's no need to worry. His Majesty had informed me that he will send two of his servants here, so I prepared two chairs for them as well. They should be arriving soon as well. In the meantime, I would commence with the briefing on this topic."

As the two adventurer parties got seated, Ainzach began explaining the mission ahead of them.

"As you've already been made aware, the objective of this mission is to breach the defenses of His Majesty's lair. Your goal is to find any flaws in the design of the his fortress as well as any weaknesses his guards. Your findings will then be used to seal any breaches and re-train his forces so they may avoid failures of a similar nature in the future.

However, this is not as simple as breaking into a single castle, due to the very nature of his keep. It is guarded by eight layers of protection. By the estimates of the Sorcerer Kings aides, your assault on it will take several days to complete."

"Wait... several days?! How are we going to keep attacking it for several days?"

"I haven't been told the exact details, but I was told that this will be accounted for. Most likely, you'll need to head into the fortress several times and make camp outside it in the evening."

"So it will be closer to a siege than an extraction mission?"

"Well, yes, that's a good way to put it. To this extent, you'll receive some funds now to buy any equipment or provisions you deem necessary for the task-"

He paused, as a heavy pair of footsteps was heard walking up the stairs. Everyone turned to face the door, in anticipation of who or what the Sorcerer King had sent their way.

However, their tense faces turned first to confusion, then to surprised delight when they saw who came through the door.

The first figure was a foxy-looking dark elf with green and blue eyes. She was dressed in a long-sleeved red-scaled leather shirt, coupled with a white gold-lined vest that went well along with her pair of white trousers and her gold capped shoes. All in all, by what they could see, this elf was some important figure.

Behind that elf though was a far more imposing figure and was well known to all the people present. Suited in jet-black armor with golden linings and a red cape, with two great swords strapped to his back, he was immediately recognizable to any adventurer.

Since he had appeared on the world stage, he had carved out a name for himself as mythical as it was inspiring.

The dark hero.

The blade that cuts through the night.

Momon of team Darkness.

* * *

 _Alright, better prepare myself, Aura should be here any minute now._

Ainz had been sitting in his office in Nazarick for some time now, practicing his appearance as a ruler while sitting at a desk. It had recently occurred to him that he had to appear regally even when doing the paperwork, a difficult feat to say the least. Keeping a straight back was important and so to was "looking like a tactician observing a map" - although he was still practicing the latter.

 _Although, shouldn't Albedo have noticed by now how I usually sit? Uwah, can I still change it without cluing her in on the fact that I'm acting half the time?_

A knock on the door brought his attention back to the matter at hand. Before he could say anything, his maid already went ahead and opened the door.

"Ainz-sama, Aura would like to enter."

"Tell her to come in."

Aura nearly skipped for joy as she entered the room. She called out: "Ainz-sama, I'm here!"

Ainz rose from his chair, carefully maintaining his dignified appearance before answering.

"Good. I've got a small job for you in E-Rantel."

Her ears perked up with her interest.

"What do you need me for? Do I get to tame a beast?"

Ainz chuckled at her question, replying: "It would be bad if there were a beast in the city, but I'm sure that the Death knights I stationed there could hold it off for a while. No, I'll need you for your skills that allow you to assess enemies. More specifically, I want you to give me a first judgement of the adamantite adventurers there."

"Huh? But didn't you want to judge them by their performance in attacking Nazarick?" Aura asked, puzzled by Ainz's request.

"That's true. However, it's equally important to know how many levels they, or those like them have, to gauge their threat and of those like them more accurately. For example, it is far more concerning if they succeed at defeating one of our pop-monsters if they have a low level than if they have a high one."

"Why? Doesn't that just mean that they'll be easier to kill?"

"Hmm. Let me put it like this: If someone could theoretically make a blade powerful enough to kill me using priasmatic ores, or if someone else could do the same with only adamantite, who'd be more dangerous?"

"Hmm, we haven't even seen priasmatic ores since we came here, so that means that only the one who made do with adamantite could even be considered a threat, right?"

"Well, yes, for now, but I meant this a bit differently. If someone of a lower level can somehow overcome the odds against objectively better enemies, then that means he's using the levels he has better than our pop-monsters. It's then a far bigger concern, because people with the less resources than us could potentially be a threat. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Aura pondered a bit about what he had said for a while, then replied:"So it's not so much about who has the higher level, but more about who has the better builds or tactics in a fight, right?"

"Oh, if only Punitto-Moe could hear this, he'd be so proud right now."

"Really?"

"Oh, I'm sure of it. But back to the topic at hand. I'll be present as Momon, so you won't need to do any introductions or such. Pandora's Actor was told to return to Momon's house, then to retreat back to the treasury, so we'll be teleporting there for the sake of consistency. Are you ready to go?"

He stretched his hand out to Aura. She nodded back and took his hand.

"Then let us get going. [Perfect Unknowable], [Gate]."

Ainz, now concealed from most eyes, stepped through the portal he had created, leading Aura after him.

Once he confirmed his surroundings to indeed be the house that he had designated for Momon, he turned to Aura, who had closed her eyes and was listening intently, before giving him a thumbs up.

"Alright, there is nobody here besides us, Ainz-sama!"

"Mmh. Good work. [Greater Create Item]."

He appeared again, now as Momon of Darkness. Of course, Aura was able to sense him beforehand, but only now was he visible to any onlookers.

"Now follow my lead and let me handle the situation if something unexpected happens if it's necessary.

He lead her forward through the main entrance, where a carriage awaited them. Specifically, it was his personal carriage, but no one would be able to tell if the hadn't seen the interior: Velvet seats, several accessories and golden embroidery all dignified the coach well beyond than the simple, yet elegant, exterior would have suggested.

Once he got seated inside, he signaled to the driver to get going and leaned back. He then turned to Aura, who was sitting next to him, asking: "Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, please!"

She smiled at him brightly as he reached into his pocket space, retrieving a bottle of sparkling juice and a glass.

As he poured her the juice, he asked her: "So, how goes the training of the dragons? Are there any difficulties?"

She reached for the glass as she answered: "No, not really. Some of them were rather lazy, but now they're all in top shape. Deliveries from and to the villages are pouring in nicely, but I don't remember the exact amount, I let the Elder Lich do the counting. But I do send a report to you every day, so why would you need to ask?"

 _Ah crap, of course I should have known! How do I explain this?_

"Well, I meant to ask how you're feeling about it, if it was tiring or too boring."

"No, nothing of the sort! Its a joy to work for you, no matter..."

Suddenly, the cart hit a bump, resulting in the juice spilling out over the opposite-facing seats.

"Ahh! How ungraceful from me, I'm so sorry, Ainz-, I mean Momon-sama!"

"Now, now, no need to be so worried. The maids will gladly clean up this mess." Ainz replied, patting her head to calm her down.

"Honestly, it's this stupid road. Can't humans build anything properly?"

"Hmm, that just might have given me an idea..."

Before long, they reached the guild, where Momon stepped out, observing the scenery.

 _The eight edge assassins told me that they saw Blue Rose enter just before I teleported here, so right now should be the ideal time to enter._

"You go first, Aura, I'll follow."

As they entered the building, Momon quietly reminded himself of the necessary changes to his mannerisms.

 _I don't like authority; I'll do what I perceive to be most just; I'm relaxed around adventurers..._

"Good day, are the others already present?" he asked the receptionist, feeling himself into his character.

"Y-yes, just up the stairs and in the first room on the right."

Her response sounded nervous, but not as wary as when he had come as Ainz. He nodded back as he went after Aura, who'd already ran up the stairs with barely a sound. As he got closer to the room, the muttering he heard coming from there stopped. Behind Aura, he whispered: "Let's go."

As the door opened, he quickly went through all the names in his head. Everyone's faces turned to them and he heard several gasps of awe from the adventurers present.

"Momon-san..."

"Who is that elf boy?"

"Can't you tell that's a girl?"

"How do you know?"

"Woman instincts."

Cutting through the chatter, Momon said: "Good day to you all, ladies and gentlemen. You must be Silver Canary, right? It's an honor to meet you in person." He stretched out his hand to the group.

"The honor is all ours, Momon-san." Freivalds replied, taking his hand.

"Momon will do, thank you. And Blue Rose, it seems we couldn't quite keep our promise to meet under less hectic circumstances."

"What are you talking about?", Gargaran quipped, "We're just taking on an inspection, that's hardly as big as defending a city from a demon invasion."

"Haha! It's good to see you all again!"

With the ice broken, he moved on to the next subject.

"Now, before I continue, I believe some introductions are in order. This is Aura Belle Fiora, a Floor Guardian of Nazarick." he stated, gesturing to Aura.

"Hi!" she said, waving at them. Several people started backing off when they saw her. feeling her power just by standing close. Evileye was chief among them.

"Wait, what does that title mean?", Söderstein, the rogue in the back asked.

"Hmm...", Momon thought how to best answer that. "The floor guardians are the second highest authority in the Sorcerous Kingdom, so I guess you could liken them to the Great Nobles of the Re-Estize Kingdom. But they also serve as the Sorcerer King's most elite guards, as well as his generals."

The whole room shuddered at the thought of how much sway over the King such an entity must hold, as well as at the surprising deploying of one of them. Thus, everyone was staring at Aura, their faces wide with shock.

"Anyways, her job will be to perform an inspection on all of you before we journey to the King's fortress." Momon continued.

If their mouths hadn't already been aghast, their jaws would have dropped right then. Momon was just now realizing how much the other adventurers were reeling from the information they received and cursed himself internally.

 _Of course, that's such_ _a mouthful! What was I even thinking?_

"Ahem.", Momon said, turning their attention back to him.

"The reason why he sent one of his closest aides to do the inspection are two-fold: First, he has absolute faith in any judgement she makes, so try to be as representative as possible. Secondly, she possesses a set of skills like no other when it comes to judging ones potential, so she was chosen for the task by him."

Even though Aura was knew well why she had been chosen for this task beforehand, hearing the reasons said aloud made her practically brim with joy and confidence. A flustered blush appeared on her face, as she turned away for a second.

Momon continued:"My task will be to escort you to Ainz Ooal Gown's fortress, but I was told to not enter the fortress itself. You'll be on your own once inside, so be careful. Nevertheless, if you don't come back in two weeks time, I'll do my best to storm after you."

Hearing his reassurance made them sit back down, but they remained tense around Aura.

 _Well, that's about as relaxed I'll get them._

"So...", Ainzach said, swallowing his fear for the moment, "I guess I better finish this briefing. Where was I... Ah, yes, funding. You'll be allowed a sum of ten Re-Estize gold coins each, as well as access to the guild shop of weapons and armor usually exclusive to the adventurers of this guild. However, you'll only have this right today, so if you want to buy something there, now's the time. Finally, the departure tomorrow will happen at the marketplace in the morning, so be sure to be there on time.

I'll be handing the forms out now, please fill them out and return them at the reception. If there are any additional questions, feel free to ask me or Momon later on."

Ainzach gave each adventurer a sheet of paper, then left the room in a hurry.

"So, um...", mumbled Powapon, the totem shaman of Silver Canary, "what happens now?"

"Well, I guess its my turn to do my job." Aura stated, approaching the adamantite adventurers. "Just line up, this should be quick."

However, none of the adventurers dared to go first, distraught due to the strange nature of Aura.

"Ugh, this is going nowhere. Aura, please demonstrate your ability on me."

"Really? If you say so."

She turned her gaze to Ainz and stretched her arms out in front of her. A screen appeared in front of her, as Albedo would when checking on the status of the NPCs in Nazarick. His approximated data started appearing on her holographic display, although it was unreadable for the adventurers present. However, he suddenly felt the ring that concealed his level start to act up, so he signaled to Aura subtly to end the analysis.

"Wait, there is one detail you forgot about. If any of you have concealing magic items, taking them off is necessary before the examination." Momon explained to the groups. Most of the adventurers looked puzzled, but he saw Evileye freeze up a little at the mention of concealing magic.

 _Ah, so she was hiding her levels. No wonder Entoma pressed the attack, she was confident she could beat them._

"Can I have a word with you alone, Momon?", Evileye asked, obviously distressed.

Even if he had some measure of malice facing Evileye for badly wounding Entoma, he was willing to overlook that if she proved herself to be useful to him. It was after all somewhat of a misunderstanding that had lead to that mistake.

"I'll be making an exception. Is this alright, Aura?"

Sensing the tone of hierarchy he was trying to establish with his "superior", Aura replied with an annoyed voice: "Don't take too long, got it?"

"Then follow me."

Momon lead Evileye outside of the meeting room and into the hallway outside. Once outside, he asked: "Will this be fine?"

"Just one moment." she replied, taking out a strange device and activating it. Immediately, a sphere of silencing magic spread around them.

"Ah, so we won't have anyone eavesdropping on us. What did you want to tell me?"

 _So what kind of device do you have?_

"Umm, before I continue, I'd have a question for you, Momon-san."

She paused and took a deep breath before asking:"Do you hate the undead?"

"Oh?" he was rather surprised by the question, so he stopped to contemplate the answer.

 _Now what would Momon answer to that kind of a question? Let me think back how I showed myself so far._

"Well, I guess I did rather hate them. I tracked down a vampiress that came here, Honyopenyonko, and I didn't hesitate to kill any undead during the Zuranon incident either.

However, ever since Ainz Ooal Gown took over, I've gotten to see another side of the undead. They can be civil, if lead by an intelligent mind; one that can see worth in human life. But this is a strange question, isn't it?"

Evileye paused, not responding for a while. Just as he was going to ask her again, she replied: "The reason I'm asking you this... is because I was worried what you may think of me if I did this."

She slipped a ring off her finger, as an undead presence suddenly appeared right in front of him.

 _Wait, what?! Are you serious? She was an undead this entire time?_

She took off her mask as well, clearly presenting her face to him.

"I have a secret, one that would be disastrous if it got out. I am a vampire princess."

Yet again, he wasn't sure how to react.

 _Okay, keep calm, don't let her see your distress..._ _What can I possibly even say now?_

"Do you drink blood?"

"Not since a hundred years!"

"Alright then, no issues. Let's go back, I'll tell Aura to examine you last and alone."

 _That wasn't natural at all!_

"Wait, that's it? No laments of disbelief, no questions?"

"This may seem strange, but I don't care about what you are as much as I care about what you do. Now, I wouldn't want to keep Aura or our fellow adventurers waiting, understood?"

"Ye-yes." she replied, following him back to the room. However, only one thought was going through his mind at the moment:

 _I'm such a failure of an actor._

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait, but I'm finally back! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much Nameless Grave for Beta reading my story! Next chapter, we'll finally get to the action, I promise. And as always, All hail Ainz Ooal Gown!**


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